December 3, 2025 • 28 mins
This week on Rut Fresh, we're covering the first week of December with updates from three completely different whitetail worlds. Michael Perry of 18 Outdoors breaks down the ramping Southern rut in Alabama, where daylight activity is just starting to climb and winter food sources are becoming key. Reese Johnson checks in from Kentucky, sharing how the post-rut lull is shifting deer toward predictable food patterns and what hunters can expect as cold weather settles in. Then Alex Comstock of Whitetail DNA gives a Minnesota perspective, where late-rut behavior overlaps with harsh conditions and target bucks begin locking into survival mode.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
What is going on? Welcome back to Retfresh. I'm Jake
Hoefer and we have some updates. It's December, it's not
November anymore, so you still have a tag, you're still
listen to this. It's time fundy rally caps, time to
hear what's going on. Here's some quick strategies on what
folks are looking to do for the following seven days.
We have Michael Perry from Alabama. We have Reeg Johnson
(00:22):
from Kentucky and Alice Comstock from Minnesota to give their updates.
As you know, retfresh is brought to you by land
dot com, the leading online real estate marketplace to find
your perfect rural, recreational agricultural hunting properties here in the US.
My challenge is to refocus, reassess your current season, and
not necessarily low your standards, but be realistic and keep
(00:45):
scout and keep hanging cameras, figure out where the deer
are moving to as a constant, constant reshuffling up the deck.
And I feel like this is probably a clean new
starting point, especially if you just got a fresh coat
of snow. So let's kick things off. Michael Perry and Alabama.
Here we go, all right, First, stuff on the line.
(01:10):
We have Michael Perry of Alabama. Michael, how's it going
going good? How y'all did doing great? Doing great? I
know things are heating up down in Alabama. I know
you already shot a buck here recently, so congratulations. But
we've been pretty focused on the Midwest, and I know
things are getting exciting in your neck of the woods,
so I wanted to bring you on.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Oh, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
So what did you shoot your most recent buck here
in Alabama.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Thanksgiving morning?
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Okay? What was that? What were you set up on?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I was set up on a like a I've full
on above a creek crossing that landatorally some blowdown points.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
So okay, what's been kind of the general running activity
in Alabama in your neck of the woods here in
the last couple of days.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Well, that earlier area where we hunt, you know it's
right now, is on on fire. This a thousand times
different than last year because it's kind of weird. You know,
a lot of people say they don't like hunting when
the years have a bunch of mask crop. This year
we've had a bunch of mass crop, wet spraying, wet summer,
and them bucks are feeling good, are chasing people. Man,
it's been incredible the sightings and the harvest that has
(02:19):
took place the last couple of weeks. Is now I'm
looking forward to this next week because it could be
just as.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Good, just depending on how wet it is.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
You know, some people kind of don't like the rain,
but it's but the root is hot and heavy. It's
there's one specific wm A and maybe another one that's
you know, we have an early rut in one.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Specific spot kind or maybe two.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
So but now it's it's it's going hot and I
hope it's gonna continue like that in other parts of
the state.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So yeah, well do you think the deer And this
is just anyone's best guest here, but you know, the
deer activity has been really good with a lot of
mass crop. Is that because the deer were able to
you know, beef up and be super healthy going into
this fall.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
I believe that's what is.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
I believe they're so happy, they're full, they're I mean,
they just it's kind of cooling off now. They're just
that's the amount of sign and uh rubs and scrapes
and movement has It's crazy the difference between one year.
I mean people were tore up last year thinking that
the light the deer were gone or something. But then
they've been so visible and rubs again, like rubbs scrapes
(03:19):
was popping up everywhere, so and people are having success.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
So it's that's it's awesome right now.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Is this one of the best ruts you you can
remember in a long time, like one of the best
in the last ten years?
Speaker 3 (03:29):
You think, yeah, man, I've only seen bucks chasing those
a handful of times in on on on puppet Land.
It's just but this time it was, I mean, it
was just amazing. The buck cacher his head down and
rolled back with his nose on the ground, chasing her
as exacting back and forth making the same moves she was.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
It was.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
It was intense and y'all trying to get him stopping,
which wouldn't work, so I had to kind of.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Shoot with the movie.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
But it was but it was it was fun, exciting,
and that's just that's you know, them kind of hunts
are dream hunt to me, so.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, well yeah, they're ingrained in your brain forever. When
everything goes right and you get to see a lot
of really cool deer behaviors. So I mean, looking here,
you're you're back home and you're going to be packing
up and heading back to camp. What's your strategy in
Alabama for you know, the first week in December. As
you know, the rut's still rank you know, cranking, but
it has anything changed since thinks giving No.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
It'll it'll, it'll, it'll get better. Well, it should get
better because December second is my favorite day. All times
people ask me that they've asked me what week or whatever,
So I'll tell you to day in December second. I've
seen more chasing and stuff going on that day, So
I'm looking forward to that time of the month and
being the same general management area that we're hunting.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And after the middle of December, we'll we'll move on.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
But I expect this week that week to be hot too,
so long as the weather kind of hold out, and
it looks like it's gonna hold out pretty good. It
might rain some, but that that won't affect as long
as the people will get out and hunt.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So yeah, all right, I want you to think that
you did do any scouting. You are listening to this
right now and you're like, Okay, I have an Alabama tack.
I want to go try hunting this week, Michael, What's
the one thing I should look for? What's the one
thing I should try to do. I know my success
is not very likely because I haven't put in the work,
But if you give me one piece of advice, where
(05:17):
should I start?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I just start walking, well, I'm jumping there, and hope
this is not worth up of them, and then maybe
walk fifty yards past where you're jumping and set up,
you know, just trying to find deer or fresh tracks.
Me what I would do if I was going somewhere
like that, hadn't kouted anything out of walk just maybe
if you're pretty good at looking at topo stuff, look
at kind of what you want to say, and then
let's take off walking till you jumping there, then set up.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
They might have spend a couple of days ear So.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, how is that kind of your general plan? Are
you going to be parked in a certain area for
a period of time and I hope you hope to
see what you see and if you don't, you're going
to move on? Is that kind of what your mental
game plan is right now?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:53):
We have like designated gun days, so I'll spend I've
got two spots kind of picked.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I'll spend the morning.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
In one spot in that spot, and if I'll do
that for four days in a row, if I want to.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
But it don't bother me to sip.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
These type of crossings are pitch points four days in
a row because of the way it just that's just
the way they travel. It's just you know, it might
take a few days, they might take a year or two.
But I mean just it's just not guaranteed. But that's
my strategy and I stick with it, and it's been
it works pretty good for me.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Soon.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, Uh, do you on album in public? Do you
ever try?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Right?
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Don't on a grunting or anything like that? Are you
pretty much rattle rattle?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Grunt? People been using grunk call.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I've had several people send me pictures literally taken on
grunk calls or can calls, little doe bleats, that's do
you do that.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
You're not gonna hurt a thing.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
It can help, so okay, So you don't think it's
you're off for trying it.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
I'm all for trying. It will not hurt, trust me, Okay,
so it can definitely help.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Yeah, is there anything else that you want to share
here for folks for the next week, I mean on
the on a scale one to ten. Uh, December third
through the tenth in Alabama, where you're at ten being
the best week of the year, one being the one
of the worst weeks of the year. Where do you
put this week?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I underten? I mean it's gonna it should be.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Good, man, so awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
So yeah, I mean, I mean I'm hoping it should
be good. That's usually real good for me and some
some folks I know.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
So things are winding down here in the Midwest. So
I'm excited for you because we're on the back end
of the Bell curve and things are just getting super
exciting where you're at. So I wish you the very
best of luck. And then, uh, if people want to
follow along with on Instagram or anything with your season
and go check out the bucket you shot earlier this year.
Where's the best place for people to do that?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Uh, you can get me up under my name on Facebook.
Then eighteen Outdoors on Instagram and YouTube if you wanna
check it out.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Hey, if I want to come on down South, come on,
because from now till February, it's gonna be hot different man, Flariers.
You know, you can hit me up message man, I'll
I'll try to help you out what I can.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
So yeah, awesome, Well, Michael, I really appreciate it. People
want to watch your trophy room. They go to White
Tail Cribs and watch watch and here all your stories
all right. Next up in line we have Rhys Johnson
from Kentucky. I feel like all our guests has killed
a deer in Kansas, and so you're part of that club.
You shot a deer in Kansas here not long ago,
and back to Kentucky.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yep, it is the Wonderland. It's hard to beat it.
It's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely So people are wrapping up their Thanksgiving,
you know, their back to reality, back to work. More
than likely November they did not do all the work
they probably should have done. You're probably guilty this to
some degree. And it's December now and you're in Kentucky.
(08:33):
What have you been seeing for activity here in you know,
the first part of December, very last couple of days
of November. I mean, is there any running activity that
you can identify or is it kind of starting to
get to food patterns.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Well, with this cold front that we've had a little
earlier than normal, I mean, I know a lot of
the Midwest is either got dumped on with a bunch
of snow or fixing to and so I think that
that's going to obviously speed this up a little bit
as far as the getting them out to feed pattern.
But that being said, you know that traditionally, one, you know,
there are some second second dough, you know, second whatever
(09:05):
you want to call it. You know, there are a
few stragglers that come in, you know, And I had
my number one target buck chasing a dough last night
and him and another another small buck came through pushing
and you could tell mouth was wide open and they were,
you know, pushing her around. So it's it's not over,
You're just you're just gonna have to be lucky.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Yeah, it's yeah, luck goes a long way, whether people
want to admit it or not.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
So yeah, it's just not in finding that, you know,
and hey, you know what it is, it's just such
a smaller percent chance. But you know, for me right now,
it's it's survivor's season figuring out who's who made it?
You know, are can n take your rifle wrapped up
last weekend, and so just trying to figure out who's alive,
who's safe, what do we want to target, what deer
do we want to try to protect and get through?
(09:53):
Are any of these deer showing a pattern? You know,
we had all that that warm weather in the early
November where things we just goofy and we're and you know,
they were they were chasing under seventy degrees and they
didn't didn't have a choice. And now we're seeing some
of that, some of that better weather with with potentially
some snow, and so you know that all being said,
I think we are going to have a lot more
of that dead the food pattern kick in a little
(10:16):
bit earlier, and it could honestly be a hard, hard
winter on the deer if you know this amount of
snow sticks around.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yeah, we got we're here in Illinois, we got a
bunch of snow. We're supposed to maybe get a little
bit more snow here now and it's probably the coldest
little snap we've had. Like you know, it's funny people
do all these late season planning and oh yeah, late
season is going to be great. The last couple of years,
it's been too warm for the majority of the season.
But for folks that you know, plan for an insurance
(10:45):
policy for late season, they might be able to cash
in here now as far as the next week. Here specifically,
what's what's kind of your strategy? You still have a
Kentucky tag in your pocket? What are what are some
of the setups and what until are you looking for?
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Every every minute that I've had free for the last
little bit, now that you know, in between Thanksgivings and
being gone for that, I've been chicking cameras, you know,
whether you're mulling corn, filling feeders, whatever it takes, you know,
prepping for what's you're anticipating a pattern to develop. You know,
there is a deer that I've got it in mind
(11:23):
that he's tempting. He won't score a lot, really cool deer. Uh,
we're debating on whether there's three or four. Either way,
we're not gonna target him this year. But he's I
was talking to my dad last night. You know, he's
he's coming to that food pod. He's hit it four
afternoons in a row in daylight, you know, And whether
that's a three year old tendency or not. So anyways,
you know, those patterns are starting to develop. You know,
That's what I'm gonna be looking for. I'm gonna be
(11:43):
trying to you know, potentially shift some cameras around, see
what I can find, take, take some of them down
that you know, maybe aren't producing. And that's what I've spent,
you know, so I haven't really been in the tree
for that reason. I'm trying to locate, see who survived,
figure out what I want to do. I need to
you know, move a set, move something around, take you know,
(12:04):
move a feed, or bring something in over here. I mean,
I'm you know, open to all in any things. I
mean that not everybody can do that or wants to
do that, but you know, you gotta gotta do what
you gotta do. And so that's the way I'm approaching it.
And then as you know, these temperatures settle in and
and you know, we'll kind of get back to normal.
I will probably be hunting most as many evenings as
(12:24):
I can get away with, for sure.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Yeah, and so the obvious question here that I mean,
it's probably obvious for ninety nine percent of people, you're
basically taking down potentially cameras that aren't producing, maybe they're
in a rough funnel and repositioning them to a food
source or a new area where there's more sign.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Is that pretty much like your g You're you're excited
in October and then you know the rut gets here
and you don't want to go in there. You want
to you know, you're stay out or maybe you're gone
or you're mounting, and you're like, you know, I haven't
checked that camera since the twenty fifth of October, eighteenth
of October, and so you go in there and it
maybe whether it was a soap, you know, but you
call it a soaker and all, you know, I mean,
if it's not producing, there's no point you know, in
leaving it there. Most likely you've kind of got a
(13:04):
general feel for what you would expect to be either
And if they weren't there during November, unless it's a
food source, why would they be there in December anyway.
So so yeah, I'm not a huge fan of just
leaving those out, you know, as far as the ones
that may you know, aren't producing. So you know, there's
a lot of them that are. I have pulled over
the course of the last week, and I've got I'm
making plans to try something different somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
How I know, you hunt some big woods too, what's
the what's the late season game plan for big woods?
Like we're in December now, is it defined feed trees
or red oaks or does find with the're browsing.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Yeah, it's a little bit of both. I mean, if
you can find some of the you know, on these
on the good master years like we have, you know,
you can key in on some of that. You know,
there are some opportunities for brows in the right places,
but you know, you know they're still public deer un
they're pressured. And then you know, we have there are
other public lands that if you're willing to drive put
the time in, there's maybe standing crops or maybe food
(14:10):
plots or whatever. That's you know, I don't really key
in on that too much because of just the pressure aspect.
You get a lot of folks who want to be there,
So I try to get a little closer to the bed,
you know, cut them off. You can't push too hard.
But obviously you can figure out that bed to feed
pattern and then get a little closer in there to
that bed. You know, but that's where you know, on
public you might have to roll the dice a little
bit more, but they will develop, you know, a pattern
(14:32):
as far as where they want to be, whether you
feel like there's a natural food source or not. In
the big Woods, I mean, and so it doesn't it
doesn't scare me. So you know, I've had one mature
deer on on the cameras now three times in ten days,
and that's exciting to me. In the big Woods, it's
pretty good. Yeah, And so it's just a matter of
(14:53):
tightening that up and getting in there.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
What's been one of the biggest things you've learned this?
I feel like every year's people are learning different things
or maybe how they manage their season could be something
that they learn. Is there anything that you keyed up
on here through October and November that you're like, Okay,
not going to do that again next year, or I'm
going to keep that in mind right now for December
till our season closes.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
Well, I'll say I'll I'll approach this maybe a little
bit differently than than then, maybe tactic wise. Is you know,
I'm getting a little older, I've got three kids, my
son Charles first buck this year, and you know, It's
just one of those things where I used to be
really really I would let it bother me. You know,
(15:37):
maybe some maybe a neighbor might shoot a three year
old or something might happen, or somebody might be in
that spot. But you know, just one of those things.
If as I've gotten older, you know, and and a
man told me this one time, He's like, you know,
maybe you know that that deer was meant for that man.
God put that deer in that man's life. You know,
it wasn't for you. And so it's just like, you know,
(15:59):
as somebody who was, you know, we got to get
them through, we got to manage we're doing all these things.
It's just a matter of slowing down, you know. You know,
you know, everybody gets a chance to enjoy it as well.
And you know, as I've just gotten an older and
more appreciative, because I'm afraid we are in the golden
age if we haven't already missed it of white tails,
that's a scary thought. And so you know, just being
(16:20):
more appreciative, being genuinely happy for someone who has a
chance to harvest that year. And if they're excited, I'm excited.
And so it's just one of those things where I
may not have been that way even five years ago,
and so just as time has gone on, it's really
just something I've kind of tried to implement and I
think and you know, notice or pay attention to throughout
(16:40):
this season. And so that may not have been the
answer the right way, but it's just that I have
tried to to really take account for this year.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Absolutely. So looking here for the next seven days, scale
one to ten, ten being the best week of the year,
one being one of the worst. Where do you put
Kentucky December third to the ten, one to ten.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
I'm optimistic, I really I'm hopeful. This is some of
the best weather we've seen. We we had just a
couple nights blow freezing at all in November, not excluding
the last four or five days. We'll say, but you know,
early parts. So you know, this first week, I'm excited
and I'm gonna give it a seven or eight. Take
your big I'm ready. And that's the thing, you know,
now that we're back to work per se, we kind
(17:21):
of you know, get into a routine here. We got
a couple weeksfore Christmas. You know, this is the time
that I'm excited to reset and hit it hard.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Yeah, awesome, I love it. We've had higher scores this
week than what I had anticipated, So I'm glad people
are optimistic. That's what people need to hear. They're still
listening to rough Fresh right now. They have a tag
in their pocket more likely, So we need to rally
and put on the rally caps and keep moving forward.
If people want to follow along with your season, Where's
the best place for people to do that?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Uh? Yeah, just reached Johnson seven on Instagram or find
me reach Johnson Facebook wherever, and I post their stuff.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Right on reasonable good luck, I have give one all right.
Next up on the line, we have Alex Comstock from Minnesota. Alex,
how's it going doing good? How are you doing doing great?
It's December. I don't know how I feel about it,
but it's December. How do you feel that it's December?
Speaker 5 (18:14):
It's I can't believe a fast and flew by, and
you know, we're Thanksgiving. We got pound to his snow,
so it's Thanksgiving and it looks like thanksgetting December and
it looks like December.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, that's for sure. And so you're in Minnesota, what
have you been seeing here on cameras were out and
about here. As far as deer activity is it, is
it waning down? Are they herding up? What have you
been seeing?
Speaker 5 (18:35):
Yeah, it seemed to really taper off here and about
the last week. Like I said, we got a bunch
of snow over Thanksgiving, so like about a ron matt
about a foot. So, I mean it's like deer going
into late season other pretty quick. And all of my
cameras are in areas I had them set up for
like still like the rut end of the rut, So
I need to get out, grab pretty much all my
(18:58):
cameras and reallocate them essentially.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, So in Minnesota, where where are some key spots
for you to relocate these cameras because I feel like
just about everyone probably needs to do the camera reshuffle
right now.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
Yeah, where I'm at, there's no like agfields or anything.
So I hunt a couple of different types of like subsets.
So I've got a lot of my stuff was suburban,
so like in town and everything, and so there's kind
of just there's known areas that a lot of times
people are feeding deer once snow's on the ground, And
obviously you can't hunt like over people's feed, but you
(19:29):
kind of treat neighborhoods in areas it's like destination food
sources and backtrack from there and no where betting is
and stuff like that. And then I've got one spot
that I'm hunting with a food plot and it's new
to me. Actually my buddy. It's my buddy's property that
he sold, but I have rights to it and he doesn't.
It's a very really weird deal, but he pretty much
(19:50):
planned me this food plot that I have to go
put a camera on, and then just natural brows. There's
a lot of buck thrown around here and stuff like
that that like to snack on in the in the winter,
So it's kind of for me. There's a lot of
areas that I've hunted in the past that I'm going
to just kind of get cameras too. And a nice
thing with the snow early this year is I can
scout as I would for like a true late season,
(20:11):
and figure out where they're betting and moving in between,
and get a bunch of cameras out.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
The snow tells us a lot, I mean, whether you
like it or not. I mean, the snow just can
tell you a bunch. Now, for people who are suburban
hunting and something similar to what you're doing, how long
is the line of movement typically on these bucks from
where they're betting up. I know it's situational, but is
there like an example of like, man, they really only
move one hundred yards or they running or moving like
five hundred yards from the nearest block of cover to go. Yeah,
(20:38):
I'd say it's definitely situational.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
There are areas that it's close, but I would say
generally speaking, you know that four to thousand yards, like,
they'll move further than people think, especially up here when
and when we do get a lot of snow, it's
nice because the deer do seem to get concentrated, and
so they'll kind of have their set couple of trails,
you know, and if you can find them, And what
I'll do is I'll get cameras up and let's say
(21:02):
I've got a buck hitting at you know, right this
time of year is getting dark, both say five o'clock,
they've got a deer hitting at seven a bunch. Then
I'll just kind of backtrack and work my way closer
and closer to bet until I can.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Find them in daylight.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Or bump them and ruin it. Yeah, yeah, for sure,
that's Uh, it always feels like late season. It just
the deer pressure. They've played the game, and it can
ma it can beautiful, it works out. But how how
much do you how much are you concerned about screwing
things up this time of the year too, because it's
(21:34):
you know, like we're entering I feel like we're entering
the late season chapter of the year for much of
the Midwest, probably like two or three weeks earlier than
what it typically feels like. So it's like we have
a long time for late season, but we're getting to
head start on like that segment of the season. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
I love it because, like especially up here in northern Minnesota,
the last two years, we haven't had much snow at all,
which has made late season really tough and I've killed
a lot of deer in December. I love late season,
and so the cold in the more snow we get,
the better. As far as like being worried about ruining something,
if I'm after a specific buck, I'll be a lot
more worried and just be a little more careful. For
(22:10):
this year, for example, like I haven't there's not one
single buck that I'm really trying to kill. So I'm
gonna be a little bit more aggressive and really try
to figure out where these deer bety and and get
in tight and and if I blow one out, I'll
just kind of move on cause I've kind of got
pockets of private and public and you know, I'm gonna
have I don't even know how many cameras out a
(22:30):
lot and a lot of scouting, and if I ruined
a deer, then I really not going to care.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Yeah, do you find do you find liberty in that?
Like a little less stress?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Nice?
Speaker 5 (22:40):
It's nice and not like especially for a year like
this year I've had it in Minnesota, especially a terrible
It's been a really tough season.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
I mean I literally haven't had an encounter. It's mature buck.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
And you know the years when you're after a buck,
it's kind of something like driving you even if you've
had a crappy year, you kind of have that deer
to target. But as we move towards the end of
the year here, and I don't really have you know,
I've got a couple of different bucks that I know
of that I would love to shoot. But when you
don't have that one, even chasing for two three years
or something. It is kind of nice where it's just like,
you know, we're going to see what happens and see
(23:10):
what we can make some eye.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Yeah, I like it. Let's see as far as you know,
your success in previous Decembers, is it pretty much boiled
down to the food and cold weather and having snow?
Is that like the ninety ten of like you got
to have that in order for it to.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Work exactly for me, the colder it is, the more
snow we have, the better, you know. I just like
thinking about, you know, some of the bucks I've killed
in December. You know, I can just think off a
couple off the top of my head that was like
I'm talking negative twenty, negative thirty.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Tons of snow, you know, feet of it.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
It sucks for every other aspect, right, like just driving
around snowblowing life, But when it comes on, mean like
give it all to me.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
How do you stay warm? Do you have any tips
for staying warm?
Speaker 4 (23:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (23:58):
I mean I've done everything. I mean, at some level,
you've got to be wearing good gear, you know, like
you don't want to be just going and grab that
fifty dollars jacket off the shelf and Walmart. Obviously, there's
so many different brands out there that are really good
and having just layering right and having the proper footwear
if you have a legitimate walk to the tree, Like
(24:18):
even if it's really really cold, you know, I'll wear
my bib. I'm not where I hardly ever wear my
outer layer jacket to the tree, trying to stay you know,
as dry as you can, because when it's really really cold,
I mean, you don't want to sweat it all if
you can help it. They're like little tips like I
use actually in my boots. I use a ug sheepskin
(24:41):
liner that I've worn for like five years and it's.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
I'll use when on this on the when I'm talking
negative twenty thirty like in North Dakota. I'll have the
body warmers, the handwarmers, I'll tape them. I'll appeal and
stick big ones you know, all over the place, like
anything you can do to give a little bit of
extra warmth, you know, if you're and then I also
don't sit for long, right, I'm not gonna go try
to pull an all days sit or something, you know, brutal. Yeah,
(25:09):
you gotta utilize you know, obviously this time of year
most often hot in the evenings and you're sitting for
the last hour and a half two hours and staying
warm and trying to shoot a deer. Do use rubber
boots in late season, like the like you know, like
the lacrosse Yeah, yeah, I have worn lacrosse. I'll wear MUCKs,
I'll wear any kind of rubber boot. And then I
(25:29):
do have a pair of actual I don't know how
we call them, just like boot boots that I've I've
never really used them before, and I'm gonna I got
a pair of this year. I'm gonna give a try
and see what the difference is.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
So looking here over the next seven days and Minnesota,
the cold the cold North scale one to ten, ten
being the best week of the year, one being one
of the worst weeks of the year. Weather considered, you know,
all factors considered, Where do you put this next seven
days out? You know?
Speaker 5 (26:00):
For me, I base it all off the weather and
looking at it right now, it's gonna be pretty cold.
I mean Saturday, the sixth below is negative three. We've
got it looks like handful up till like five six
more inches coming over the weekend. So I'll be optimistic
and I'm gonna give it a five right now. Okay,
(26:21):
And that's off you know, no current intel other than
just basing it what I would say, off the conditions,
and I'm gonna I'm gonna give it a We'll go
five and a half. I want to get above I
want to get above a five.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Okay, the uh, the scores this week were way better
than what I have anticipated that I've told the other
guests like, hey, we all need this positivity right now.
We all need uh to think that it could happen,
because it certainly could well. And one thing to this
third through the tenth, you know, I usually think of
it as like the fifth the fourteenth generally speaking, is
(26:51):
there are gonna be those dose you know, cycling through. Again.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
I'm not banking my hunting off like the second rut,
but if you can get into pockets where you know,
be a bunch of does and you just kind of
never know what could happen in that scenario for dos
cycling through, So something to keep in the.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Back of your head too. Yeah, absolutely, well, good luck, Alex.
Hopefully you turn one up here in late season. You
never know who's going to show up. If you find
the right food and if people want to fall along
with what you have going, where is the best place
to do that.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Either YouTube, whitetail, DNA if you just type that in,
or Apple Podcasts, Spotify every your podcasts as well.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
So awesome. Well, thank you so much, Alex, good luck
the rest of the season. Appreciate it. Thanks Jake. All Right,
there you guys have I hope you guys enjoyed this
week of ret fresh. Hopefully this week find something positive.
Maybe it's a deer that you thought was dead shows
back up on camera, maybe you find a new deer
on a prime late season food source, or maybe you
just get out there and you start filling the freezer
(27:47):
with some dos. If you have a lot of DOS
in your area, I would say be really sensitive to
whether you're in an area where EHD has been an
issue and at that point maybe to start building for
the future. So hope you guys have a great week.
We'll see you here next Wednesday. Seam m HM
What is going on? Welcome back to Retfresh. I'm Jake
Hoefer and we have some updates. It's December, it's not
November anymore, so you still have a tag, you're still
listen to this. It's time fundy rally caps, time to
hear what's going on. Here's some quick strategies on what
folks are looking to do for the following seven days.
We have Michael Perry from Alabama. We have Reeg Johnson
(00:22):
from Kentucky and Alice Comstock from Minnesota to give their updates.
As you know, retfresh is brought to you by land
dot com, the leading online real estate marketplace to find
your perfect rural, recreational agricultural hunting properties here in the US.
My challenge is to refocus, reassess your current season, and
not necessarily low your standards, but be realistic and keep
(00:45):
scout and keep hanging cameras, figure out where the deer
are moving to as a constant, constant reshuffling up the deck.
And I feel like this is probably a clean new
starting point, especially if you just got a fresh coat
of snow. So let's kick things off. Michael Perry and Alabama.
Here we go, all right, First, stuff on the line.
(01:10):
We have Michael Perry of Alabama. Michael, how's it going
going good? How y'all did doing great? Doing great? I
know things are heating up down in Alabama. I know
you already shot a buck here recently, so congratulations. But
we've been pretty focused on the Midwest, and I know
things are getting exciting in your neck of the woods,
so I wanted to bring you on.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Oh, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
So what did you shoot your most recent buck here
in Alabama.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Thanksgiving morning?
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Okay? What was that? What were you set up on?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I was set up on a like a I've full
on above a creek crossing that landatorally some blowdown points.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
So okay, what's been kind of the general running activity
in Alabama in your neck of the woods here in
the last couple of days.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Well, that earlier area where we hunt, you know it's
right now, is on on fire. This a thousand times
different than last year because it's kind of weird. You know,
a lot of people say they don't like hunting when
the years have a bunch of mask crop. This year
we've had a bunch of mass crop, wet spraying, wet summer,
and them bucks are feeling good, are chasing people. Man,
it's been incredible the sightings and the harvest that has
(02:19):
took place the last couple of weeks. Is now I'm
looking forward to this next week because it could be
just as.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Good, just depending on how wet it is.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
You know, some people kind of don't like the rain,
but it's but the root is hot and heavy. It's
there's one specific wm A and maybe another one that's
you know, we have an early rut in one.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Specific spot kind or maybe two.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
So but now it's it's it's going hot and I
hope it's gonna continue like that in other parts of
the state.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So yeah, well do you think the deer And this
is just anyone's best guest here, but you know, the
deer activity has been really good with a lot of
mass crop. Is that because the deer were able to
you know, beef up and be super healthy going into
this fall.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
I believe that's what is.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
I believe they're so happy, they're full, they're I mean,
they just it's kind of cooling off now. They're just
that's the amount of sign and uh rubs and scrapes
and movement has It's crazy the difference between one year.
I mean people were tore up last year thinking that
the light the deer were gone or something. But then
they've been so visible and rubs again, like rubbs scrapes
(03:19):
was popping up everywhere, so and people are having success.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
So it's that's it's awesome right now.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Is this one of the best ruts you you can
remember in a long time, like one of the best
in the last ten years?
Speaker 3 (03:29):
You think, yeah, man, I've only seen bucks chasing those
a handful of times in on on on puppet Land.
It's just but this time it was, I mean, it
was just amazing. The buck cacher his head down and
rolled back with his nose on the ground, chasing her
as exacting back and forth making the same moves she was.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
It was.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
It was intense and y'all trying to get him stopping,
which wouldn't work, so I had to kind of.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Shoot with the movie.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
But it was but it was it was fun, exciting,
and that's just that's you know, them kind of hunts
are dream hunt to me, so.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, well yeah, they're ingrained in your brain forever. When
everything goes right and you get to see a lot
of really cool deer behaviors. So I mean, looking here,
you're you're back home and you're going to be packing
up and heading back to camp. What's your strategy in
Alabama for you know, the first week in December. As
you know, the rut's still rank you know, cranking, but
it has anything changed since thinks giving No.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
It'll it'll, it'll, it'll get better. Well, it should get
better because December second is my favorite day. All times
people ask me that they've asked me what week or whatever,
So I'll tell you to day in December second. I've
seen more chasing and stuff going on that day, So
I'm looking forward to that time of the month and
being the same general management area that we're hunting.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And after the middle of December, we'll we'll move on.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
But I expect this week that week to be hot too,
so long as the weather kind of hold out, and
it looks like it's gonna hold out pretty good. It
might rain some, but that that won't affect as long
as the people will get out and hunt.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So yeah, all right, I want you to think that
you did do any scouting. You are listening to this
right now and you're like, Okay, I have an Alabama tack.
I want to go try hunting this week, Michael, What's
the one thing I should look for? What's the one
thing I should try to do. I know my success
is not very likely because I haven't put in the work,
But if you give me one piece of advice, where
(05:17):
should I start?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I just start walking, well, I'm jumping there, and hope
this is not worth up of them, and then maybe
walk fifty yards past where you're jumping and set up,
you know, just trying to find deer or fresh tracks.
Me what I would do if I was going somewhere
like that, hadn't kouted anything out of walk just maybe
if you're pretty good at looking at topo stuff, look
at kind of what you want to say, and then
let's take off walking till you jumping there, then set up.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
They might have spend a couple of days ear So.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, how is that kind of your general plan? Are
you going to be parked in a certain area for
a period of time and I hope you hope to
see what you see and if you don't, you're going
to move on? Is that kind of what your mental
game plan is right now?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:53):
We have like designated gun days, so I'll spend I've
got two spots kind of picked.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I'll spend the morning.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
In one spot in that spot, and if I'll do
that for four days in a row, if I want to.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
But it don't bother me to sip.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
These type of crossings are pitch points four days in
a row because of the way it just that's just
the way they travel. It's just you know, it might
take a few days, they might take a year or two.
But I mean just it's just not guaranteed. But that's
my strategy and I stick with it, and it's been
it works pretty good for me.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Soon.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, Uh, do you on album in public? Do you
ever try?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Right?
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Don't on a grunting or anything like that? Are you
pretty much rattle rattle?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Grunt? People been using grunk call.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I've had several people send me pictures literally taken on
grunk calls or can calls, little doe bleats, that's do
you do that.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
You're not gonna hurt a thing.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
It can help, so okay, So you don't think it's
you're off for trying it.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
I'm all for trying. It will not hurt, trust me, Okay,
so it can definitely help.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Yeah, is there anything else that you want to share
here for folks for the next week, I mean on
the on a scale one to ten. Uh, December third
through the tenth in Alabama, where you're at ten being
the best week of the year, one being the one
of the worst weeks of the year. Where do you
put this week?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I underten? I mean it's gonna it should be.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Good, man, so awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
So yeah, I mean, I mean I'm hoping it should
be good. That's usually real good for me and some
some folks I know.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
So things are winding down here in the Midwest. So
I'm excited for you because we're on the back end
of the Bell curve and things are just getting super
exciting where you're at. So I wish you the very
best of luck. And then, uh, if people want to
follow along with on Instagram or anything with your season
and go check out the bucket you shot earlier this year.
Where's the best place for people to do that?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Uh, you can get me up under my name on Facebook.
Then eighteen Outdoors on Instagram and YouTube if you wanna
check it out.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Hey, if I want to come on down South, come on,
because from now till February, it's gonna be hot different man, Flariers.
You know, you can hit me up message man, I'll
I'll try to help you out what I can.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
So yeah, awesome, Well, Michael, I really appreciate it. People
want to watch your trophy room. They go to White
Tail Cribs and watch watch and here all your stories
all right. Next up in line we have Rhys Johnson
from Kentucky. I feel like all our guests has killed
a deer in Kansas, and so you're part of that club.
You shot a deer in Kansas here not long ago,
and back to Kentucky.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yep, it is the Wonderland. It's hard to beat it.
It's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely So people are wrapping up their Thanksgiving,
you know, their back to reality, back to work. More
than likely November they did not do all the work
they probably should have done. You're probably guilty this to
some degree. And it's December now and you're in Kentucky.
(08:33):
What have you been seeing for activity here in you know,
the first part of December, very last couple of days
of November. I mean, is there any running activity that
you can identify or is it kind of starting to
get to food patterns.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Well, with this cold front that we've had a little
earlier than normal, I mean, I know a lot of
the Midwest is either got dumped on with a bunch
of snow or fixing to and so I think that
that's going to obviously speed this up a little bit
as far as the getting them out to feed pattern.
But that being said, you know that traditionally, one, you know,
there are some second second dough, you know, second whatever
(09:05):
you want to call it. You know, there are a
few stragglers that come in, you know, And I had
my number one target buck chasing a dough last night
and him and another another small buck came through pushing
and you could tell mouth was wide open and they were,
you know, pushing her around. So it's it's not over,
You're just you're just gonna have to be lucky.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Yeah, it's yeah, luck goes a long way, whether people
want to admit it or not.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
So yeah, it's just not in finding that, you know,
and hey, you know what it is, it's just such
a smaller percent chance. But you know, for me right now,
it's it's survivor's season figuring out who's who made it?
You know, are can n take your rifle wrapped up
last weekend, and so just trying to figure out who's alive,
who's safe, what do we want to target, what deer
do we want to try to protect and get through?
(09:53):
Are any of these deer showing a pattern? You know,
we had all that that warm weather in the early
November where things we just goofy and we're and you know,
they were they were chasing under seventy degrees and they
didn't didn't have a choice. And now we're seeing some
of that, some of that better weather with with potentially
some snow, and so you know that all being said,
I think we are going to have a lot more
of that dead the food pattern kick in a little
(10:16):
bit earlier, and it could honestly be a hard, hard
winter on the deer if you know this amount of
snow sticks around.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yeah, we got we're here in Illinois, we got a
bunch of snow. We're supposed to maybe get a little
bit more snow here now and it's probably the coldest
little snap we've had. Like you know, it's funny people
do all these late season planning and oh yeah, late
season is going to be great. The last couple of years,
it's been too warm for the majority of the season.
But for folks that you know, plan for an insurance
(10:45):
policy for late season, they might be able to cash
in here now as far as the next week. Here specifically,
what's what's kind of your strategy? You still have a
Kentucky tag in your pocket? What are what are some
of the setups and what until are you looking for?
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Every every minute that I've had free for the last
little bit, now that you know, in between Thanksgivings and
being gone for that, I've been chicking cameras, you know,
whether you're mulling corn, filling feeders, whatever it takes, you know,
prepping for what's you're anticipating a pattern to develop. You know,
there is a deer that I've got it in mind
(11:23):
that he's tempting. He won't score a lot, really cool deer. Uh,
we're debating on whether there's three or four. Either way,
we're not gonna target him this year. But he's I
was talking to my dad last night. You know, he's
he's coming to that food pod. He's hit it four
afternoons in a row in daylight, you know, And whether
that's a three year old tendency or not. So anyways,
you know, those patterns are starting to develop. You know,
That's what I'm gonna be looking for. I'm gonna be
(11:43):
trying to you know, potentially shift some cameras around, see
what I can find, take, take some of them down
that you know, maybe aren't producing. And that's what I've spent,
you know, so I haven't really been in the tree
for that reason. I'm trying to locate, see who survived,
figure out what I want to do. I need to
you know, move a set, move something around, take you know,
(12:04):
move a feed, or bring something in over here. I mean,
I'm you know, open to all in any things. I
mean that not everybody can do that or wants to
do that, but you know, you gotta gotta do what
you gotta do. And so that's the way I'm approaching it.
And then as you know, these temperatures settle in and
and you know, we'll kind of get back to normal.
I will probably be hunting most as many evenings as
(12:24):
I can get away with, for sure.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Yeah, and so the obvious question here that I mean,
it's probably obvious for ninety nine percent of people, you're
basically taking down potentially cameras that aren't producing, maybe they're
in a rough funnel and repositioning them to a food
source or a new area where there's more sign.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Is that pretty much like your g You're you're excited
in October and then you know the rut gets here
and you don't want to go in there. You want
to you know, you're stay out or maybe you're gone
or you're mounting, and you're like, you know, I haven't
checked that camera since the twenty fifth of October, eighteenth
of October, and so you go in there and it
maybe whether it was a soap, you know, but you
call it a soaker and all, you know, I mean,
if it's not producing, there's no point you know, in
leaving it there. Most likely you've kind of got a
(13:04):
general feel for what you would expect to be either
And if they weren't there during November, unless it's a
food source, why would they be there in December anyway.
So so yeah, I'm not a huge fan of just
leaving those out, you know, as far as the ones
that may you know, aren't producing. So you know, there's
a lot of them that are. I have pulled over
the course of the last week, and I've got I'm
making plans to try something different somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
How I know, you hunt some big woods too, what's
the what's the late season game plan for big woods?
Like we're in December now, is it defined feed trees
or red oaks or does find with the're browsing.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Yeah, it's a little bit of both. I mean, if
you can find some of the you know, on these
on the good master years like we have, you know,
you can key in on some of that. You know,
there are some opportunities for brows in the right places,
but you know, you know they're still public deer un
they're pressured. And then you know, we have there are
other public lands that if you're willing to drive put
the time in, there's maybe standing crops or maybe food
(14:10):
plots or whatever. That's you know, I don't really key
in on that too much because of just the pressure aspect.
You get a lot of folks who want to be there,
So I try to get a little closer to the bed,
you know, cut them off. You can't push too hard.
But obviously you can figure out that bed to feed
pattern and then get a little closer in there to
that bed. You know, but that's where you know, on
public you might have to roll the dice a little
bit more, but they will develop, you know, a pattern
(14:32):
as far as where they want to be, whether you
feel like there's a natural food source or not. In
the big Woods, I mean, and so it doesn't it
doesn't scare me. So you know, I've had one mature
deer on on the cameras now three times in ten days,
and that's exciting to me. In the big Woods, it's
pretty good. Yeah, And so it's just a matter of
(14:53):
tightening that up and getting in there.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
What's been one of the biggest things you've learned this?
I feel like every year's people are learning different things
or maybe how they manage their season could be something
that they learn. Is there anything that you keyed up
on here through October and November that you're like, Okay,
not going to do that again next year, or I'm
going to keep that in mind right now for December
till our season closes.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
Well, I'll say I'll I'll approach this maybe a little
bit differently than than then, maybe tactic wise. Is you know,
I'm getting a little older, I've got three kids, my
son Charles first buck this year, and you know, It's
just one of those things where I used to be
really really I would let it bother me. You know,
(15:37):
maybe some maybe a neighbor might shoot a three year
old or something might happen, or somebody might be in
that spot. But you know, just one of those things.
If as I've gotten older, you know, and and a
man told me this one time, He's like, you know,
maybe you know that that deer was meant for that man.
God put that deer in that man's life. You know,
it wasn't for you. And so it's just like, you know,
(15:59):
as somebody who was, you know, we got to get
them through, we got to manage we're doing all these things.
It's just a matter of slowing down, you know. You know,
you know, everybody gets a chance to enjoy it as well.
And you know, as I've just gotten an older and
more appreciative, because I'm afraid we are in the golden
age if we haven't already missed it of white tails,
that's a scary thought. And so you know, just being
(16:20):
more appreciative, being genuinely happy for someone who has a
chance to harvest that year. And if they're excited, I'm excited.
And so it's just one of those things where I
may not have been that way even five years ago,
and so just as time has gone on, it's really
just something I've kind of tried to implement and I
think and you know, notice or pay attention to throughout
(16:40):
this season. And so that may not have been the
answer the right way, but it's just that I have
tried to to really take account for this year.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Absolutely. So looking here for the next seven days, scale
one to ten, ten being the best week of the year,
one being one of the worst. Where do you put
Kentucky December third to the ten, one to ten.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
I'm optimistic, I really I'm hopeful. This is some of
the best weather we've seen. We we had just a
couple nights blow freezing at all in November, not excluding
the last four or five days. We'll say, but you know,
early parts. So you know, this first week, I'm excited
and I'm gonna give it a seven or eight. Take
your big I'm ready. And that's the thing, you know,
now that we're back to work per se, we kind
(17:21):
of you know, get into a routine here. We got
a couple weeksfore Christmas. You know, this is the time
that I'm excited to reset and hit it hard.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Yeah, awesome, I love it. We've had higher scores this
week than what I had anticipated, So I'm glad people
are optimistic. That's what people need to hear. They're still
listening to rough Fresh right now. They have a tag
in their pocket more likely, So we need to rally
and put on the rally caps and keep moving forward.
If people want to follow along with your season, Where's
the best place for people to do that?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Uh? Yeah, just reached Johnson seven on Instagram or find
me reach Johnson Facebook wherever, and I post their stuff.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Right on reasonable good luck, I have give one all right.
Next up on the line, we have Alex Comstock from Minnesota. Alex,
how's it going doing good? How are you doing doing great?
It's December. I don't know how I feel about it,
but it's December. How do you feel that it's December?
Speaker 5 (18:14):
It's I can't believe a fast and flew by, and
you know, we're Thanksgiving. We got pound to his snow,
so it's Thanksgiving and it looks like thanksgetting December and
it looks like December.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, that's for sure. And so you're in Minnesota, what
have you been seeing here on cameras were out and
about here. As far as deer activity is it, is
it waning down? Are they herding up? What have you
been seeing?
Speaker 5 (18:35):
Yeah, it seemed to really taper off here and about
the last week. Like I said, we got a bunch
of snow over Thanksgiving, so like about a ron matt
about a foot. So, I mean it's like deer going
into late season other pretty quick. And all of my
cameras are in areas I had them set up for
like still like the rut end of the rut, So
I need to get out, grab pretty much all my
(18:58):
cameras and reallocate them essentially.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, So in Minnesota, where where are some key spots
for you to relocate these cameras because I feel like
just about everyone probably needs to do the camera reshuffle
right now.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
Yeah, where I'm at, there's no like agfields or anything.
So I hunt a couple of different types of like subsets.
So I've got a lot of my stuff was suburban,
so like in town and everything, and so there's kind
of just there's known areas that a lot of times
people are feeding deer once snow's on the ground, And
obviously you can't hunt like over people's feed, but you
(19:29):
kind of treat neighborhoods in areas it's like destination food
sources and backtrack from there and no where betting is
and stuff like that. And then I've got one spot
that I'm hunting with a food plot and it's new
to me. Actually my buddy. It's my buddy's property that
he sold, but I have rights to it and he doesn't.
It's a very really weird deal, but he pretty much
(19:50):
planned me this food plot that I have to go
put a camera on, and then just natural brows. There's
a lot of buck thrown around here and stuff like
that that like to snack on in the in the winter,
So it's kind of for me. There's a lot of
areas that I've hunted in the past that I'm going
to just kind of get cameras too. And a nice
thing with the snow early this year is I can
scout as I would for like a true late season,
(20:11):
and figure out where they're betting and moving in between,
and get a bunch of cameras out.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
The snow tells us a lot, I mean, whether you
like it or not. I mean, the snow just can
tell you a bunch. Now, for people who are suburban
hunting and something similar to what you're doing, how long
is the line of movement typically on these bucks from
where they're betting up. I know it's situational, but is
there like an example of like, man, they really only
move one hundred yards or they running or moving like
five hundred yards from the nearest block of cover to go. Yeah,
(20:38):
I'd say it's definitely situational.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
There are areas that it's close, but I would say
generally speaking, you know that four to thousand yards, like,
they'll move further than people think, especially up here when
and when we do get a lot of snow, it's
nice because the deer do seem to get concentrated, and
so they'll kind of have their set couple of trails,
you know, and if you can find them, And what
I'll do is I'll get cameras up and let's say
(21:02):
I've got a buck hitting at you know, right this
time of year is getting dark, both say five o'clock,
they've got a deer hitting at seven a bunch. Then
I'll just kind of backtrack and work my way closer
and closer to bet until I can.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Find them in daylight.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Or bump them and ruin it. Yeah, yeah, for sure,
that's Uh, it always feels like late season. It just
the deer pressure. They've played the game, and it can
ma it can beautiful, it works out. But how how
much do you how much are you concerned about screwing
things up this time of the year too, because it's
(21:34):
you know, like we're entering I feel like we're entering
the late season chapter of the year for much of
the Midwest, probably like two or three weeks earlier than
what it typically feels like. So it's like we have
a long time for late season, but we're getting to
head start on like that segment of the season. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
I love it because, like especially up here in northern Minnesota,
the last two years, we haven't had much snow at all,
which has made late season really tough and I've killed
a lot of deer in December. I love late season,
and so the cold in the more snow we get,
the better. As far as like being worried about ruining something,
if I'm after a specific buck, I'll be a lot
more worried and just be a little more careful. For
(22:10):
this year, for example, like I haven't there's not one
single buck that I'm really trying to kill. So I'm
gonna be a little bit more aggressive and really try
to figure out where these deer bety and and get
in tight and and if I blow one out, I'll
just kind of move on cause I've kind of got
pockets of private and public and you know, I'm gonna
have I don't even know how many cameras out a
(22:30):
lot and a lot of scouting, and if I ruined
a deer, then I really not going to care.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Yeah, do you find do you find liberty in that?
Like a little less stress?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Nice?
Speaker 5 (22:40):
It's nice and not like especially for a year like
this year I've had it in Minnesota, especially a terrible
It's been a really tough season.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
I mean I literally haven't had an encounter. It's mature buck.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
And you know the years when you're after a buck,
it's kind of something like driving you even if you've
had a crappy year, you kind of have that deer
to target. But as we move towards the end of
the year here, and I don't really have you know,
I've got a couple of different bucks that I know
of that I would love to shoot. But when you
don't have that one, even chasing for two three years
or something. It is kind of nice where it's just like,
you know, we're going to see what happens and see
(23:10):
what we can make some eye.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Yeah, I like it. Let's see as far as you know,
your success in previous Decembers, is it pretty much boiled
down to the food and cold weather and having snow?
Is that like the ninety ten of like you got
to have that in order for it to.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Work exactly for me, the colder it is, the more
snow we have, the better, you know. I just like
thinking about, you know, some of the bucks I've killed
in December. You know, I can just think off a
couple off the top of my head that was like
I'm talking negative twenty, negative thirty.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Tons of snow, you know, feet of it.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
It sucks for every other aspect, right, like just driving
around snowblowing life, But when it comes on, mean like
give it all to me.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
How do you stay warm? Do you have any tips
for staying warm?
Speaker 4 (23:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (23:58):
I mean I've done everything. I mean, at some level,
you've got to be wearing good gear, you know, like
you don't want to be just going and grab that
fifty dollars jacket off the shelf and Walmart. Obviously, there's
so many different brands out there that are really good
and having just layering right and having the proper footwear
if you have a legitimate walk to the tree, Like
(24:18):
even if it's really really cold, you know, I'll wear
my bib. I'm not where I hardly ever wear my
outer layer jacket to the tree, trying to stay you know,
as dry as you can, because when it's really really cold,
I mean, you don't want to sweat it all if
you can help it. They're like little tips like I
use actually in my boots. I use a ug sheepskin
(24:41):
liner that I've worn for like five years and it's.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
I'll use when on this on the when I'm talking
negative twenty thirty like in North Dakota. I'll have the
body warmers, the handwarmers, I'll tape them. I'll appeal and
stick big ones you know, all over the place, like
anything you can do to give a little bit of
extra warmth, you know, if you're and then I also
don't sit for long, right, I'm not gonna go try
to pull an all days sit or something, you know, brutal. Yeah,
(25:09):
you gotta utilize you know, obviously this time of year
most often hot in the evenings and you're sitting for
the last hour and a half two hours and staying
warm and trying to shoot a deer. Do use rubber
boots in late season, like the like you know, like
the lacrosse Yeah, yeah, I have worn lacrosse. I'll wear MUCKs,
I'll wear any kind of rubber boot. And then I
(25:29):
do have a pair of actual I don't know how
we call them, just like boot boots that I've I've
never really used them before, and I'm gonna I got
a pair of this year. I'm gonna give a try
and see what the difference is.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
So looking here over the next seven days and Minnesota,
the cold the cold North scale one to ten, ten
being the best week of the year, one being one
of the worst weeks of the year. Weather considered, you know,
all factors considered, Where do you put this next seven
days out? You know?
Speaker 5 (26:00):
For me, I base it all off the weather and
looking at it right now, it's gonna be pretty cold.
I mean Saturday, the sixth below is negative three. We've
got it looks like handful up till like five six
more inches coming over the weekend. So I'll be optimistic
and I'm gonna give it a five right now. Okay,
(26:21):
And that's off you know, no current intel other than
just basing it what I would say, off the conditions,
and I'm gonna I'm gonna give it a We'll go
five and a half. I want to get above I
want to get above a five.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Okay, the uh, the scores this week were way better
than what I have anticipated that I've told the other
guests like, hey, we all need this positivity right now.
We all need uh to think that it could happen,
because it certainly could well. And one thing to this
third through the tenth, you know, I usually think of
it as like the fifth the fourteenth generally speaking, is
(26:51):
there are gonna be those dose you know, cycling through. Again.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
I'm not banking my hunting off like the second rut,
but if you can get into pockets where you know,
be a bunch of does and you just kind of
never know what could happen in that scenario for dos
cycling through, So something to keep in the.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Back of your head too. Yeah, absolutely, well, good luck, Alex.
Hopefully you turn one up here in late season. You
never know who's going to show up. If you find
the right food and if people want to fall along
with what you have going, where is the best place
to do that.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Either YouTube, whitetail, DNA if you just type that in,
or Apple Podcasts, Spotify every your podcasts as well.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
So awesome. Well, thank you so much, Alex, good luck
the rest of the season. Appreciate it. Thanks Jake. All Right,
there you guys have I hope you guys enjoyed this
week of ret fresh. Hopefully this week find something positive.
Maybe it's a deer that you thought was dead shows
back up on camera, maybe you find a new deer
on a prime late season food source, or maybe you
just get out there and you start filling the freezer
(27:47):
with some dos. If you have a lot of DOS
in your area, I would say be really sensitive to
whether you're in an area where EHD has been an
issue and at that point maybe to start building for
the future. So hope you guys have a great week.
We'll see you here next Wednesday. Seam m HM
Host
Mark Kenyon
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